Episode 41: A Series of Misfortunes #2
Demonic Beasts emerged from the rift, snapping their fangs as they searched for prey. Yohan glanced back and bit his lip.
“This just keeps getting worse…”
The hyenas he was currently fighting were already formidable opponents. There weren’t many of them, but each one had mastered the use of mana blades, making them a serious threat.
But now, with the added complication of a Demonic beast outbreak, there was no guarantee he could survive this situation unscathed.
At any moment, a Special-grade Demonic beast could emerge from the outbreak, making it imperative to deal with the hyenas as quickly as possible.
“Looks like I’ll have to push myself a bit.”
Yohan channeled his mana throughout his body. His blue eyes gleamed as a gust of wind swirled around him.
Whoosh!
Intense waves of mana radiated outward.
“He’s preparing something!”
“Time your attacks with the demonic beasts!”
The hyenas retreated, hiding themselves in the dark mist. Their plan was clear—to ambush Yohan when he was distracted by the demonic beasts.
“Graaaah!”
“Screeeeech!”
The demonic beasts lunged at Yohan, their teeth glinting under the moonlight. Their claws tore into the rock, ripping through the air with deadly force.
Their blood-red eyes glowed, and their despair-filled cries echoed through the night.
“I’ll deal with the demonic beasts first.”
Although the hyenas were troublesome, the sheer number of Demonic beasts was overwhelming. More and more poured out of the rift even now.
Yohan clasped his hands together, forming a series of hand sign. Threads of mana radiated from his fingertips, intertwining absorption and release magic.
Woom!
A swirling sphere of mana began to form at Yohan’s hands, growing larger as it twisted and churned. The vortex distorted the very air around it.
The sphere expanded rapidly, shaking the ground beneath it. Trees creaked and shattered, rocks exploded into dust, and the earth trembled violently.
Yohan extended his hand toward the rift. The spiraling mana vortex burst forth with explosive speed.
Spiral Heavenbreaker.
BOOOOM!
The vortex exploded, sweeping across the ground. The demonic beasts were sucked into its center, shredded to pieces before they could even cry out.
CRASH!
The Spiral Heavenbreaker collided with the rift, triggering a massive burst of mana. The explosion rocked the land, unleashing a blinding light that consumed everything in its wake.
A powerful storm tore through the area, scattering debris as the ground cracked and split apart. Rocks disintegrated into dust, and a cloud of earth blanketed the sky.
Blood-red rain fell amidst the haze, staining the ground. Screams mingled with the rain, their echoes reverberating through the heavens and earth.
“Now, where is the hyenas?”
As soon as Yohan finished dealing with the demonic beasts, he turned to face the hyenas. He could sense their movements.
However, he couldn’t use magic immediately. The Spiral Heavenbreaker had consumed too much mana, leaving his circuits overloaded.
“…….”
Yohan scanned his surroundings, his eyes darting to track the hyenas’ movements. He just needed to hold out for ten seconds. By then, he’d be ready to counterattack…
But battles rarely went as planned. Realizing Yohan couldn’t use magic, the hyenas charged all at once, their mana blades slashing through the air.
Yohan threw himself backward, rolling across the ground.
Shing!
Red blades of light cut through the space where he had just been.
“Keep up the attack!”
The hyenas’ attacks rained down like a torrent. Yohan’s mana circuits were overloaded, making it impossible to activate his defensive magic technique. Gritting his teeth, he rolled across the ground once more.
Shing!
Five mana blades slashed through the spot where Yohan had just been, their density formidable enough to break through even his defensive technique at full power.
Swish!
The hyenas moved like predators toying with their prey. They tightened their encirclement around Yohan before quickly vanishing into the dark mist.
For a brief moment, silence fell before the next attack began. A blade aimed at Yohan’s side suddenly emerged from the mist.
Yohan twisted his body, barely avoiding the strike, but mocking laughter echoed from the dark mist.
“Kieeeek!”
“Graaar!”
Meanwhile, the rift continued to spew beasts. Despite Yohan’s earlier efforts, their numbers remained overwhelming—a true outbreak.
“Damn it.”
Yohan’s eyes turned cold. At this rate, it would never end.
Slowly raising his hand, he muttered softly.
“The Book of Calamity.”
Flutter!
Before his eyes, a brilliant white glow gathered, revealing a book. Knowledge permitted only to those who had violated a taboo.
‘I didn’t want to use this, but I have no choice.’
If the magic from the Book of Calamity was discovered, he would be branded a dark mage and executed without trial. But now wasn’t the time to worry about such things.
Yohan placed his hand on the book and closed his eyes. As his fingertips brushed against the pages, the air seemed to scream in agony.
Lightning Tempest
The sky split apart. Massive bolts of lightning were born from the clouds, striking the earth below. Light and thunder swept across the ground, crushing everything in their wake.
Black clouds rapidly gathered above Yohan’s head. The air grew thick with tension, as though it might tear apart, and a cold shiver ran down his skin.
CRAAACK!
A thunderclap loud enough to split the heavens echoed across the land. In that instant, a massive bolt of lightning tore through the ground below. Light and sound erupted almost simultaneously.
It was a sight as if the heavens and the earth were connected.
“What… what is this…!”
“…My god.”
As the fierce storm cleared away the black mist, the hyenas lurking within were revealed. They had lost all will to fight, overwhelmed by the sheer display of power.
Yohan summoned his mana, commanding the Lightning Tempest to move.
BOOM!
The storm raged, forming a domain. Lightning and winds surged from every direction. The bolts of lightning struck unpredictably, leaving no room for escape.
“Arghhh!”
“Ugh!”
The relentless speed and destructive power of the lightning left the hyenas unable to even scream properly as they collapsed.
The wind howled, carrying the sound of its fury, and the embedded lightning was so intense it could be felt through the air.
The acrid smell of burning filled Yohan’s nose, and the brilliant flashes of lightning drained all color from the surroundings.
“Haha…”
The leader of the pack, who had seemed invincible, dropped his curved sword.
Clang.
The sound was like the shattering of his spirit.
It was a scene that left no room for doubt.
This place was now a domain of death where survival was no longer permitted.
CRACK!
A bolt of lightning from the heavens struck the last remaining hyena. With a flash of blue light, the creature was charred black and collapsed to the ground.
The area fell silent. The smell of burning flesh stung the nose, and the surviving creatures held their breath.
“Haah…”
Yohan took a deep breath of the cold air to calm his remaining energy. His fingertips trembled. Overwhelmed by mana exhaustion, he clutched his head, dizzy, and turned to look around.
Demonic Beasts emerging from the rift were continually struck by lightning, reduced to dust. The hyenas, now charred black and unrecognizable, lay motionless.
“It’s good that everything’s cleaned up, but…”
He had no idea how to undo the disaster magic, the Lightning Tempest.
The last spell he’d used, Frozen Abyss, had ended the moment it was cast. But now, the domain he had created was lingering, and he didn’t know how to dispel it.
“Should I just leave it as is?”
He had already thought of an excuse in case someone found traces of the Lightning Tempest. He’d simply claim that the storm coincided with the opening of the rift.
With the domain clearly visible, no one would be able to conduct a detailed investigation, nor would they suspect him.
“…Let’s head down.”
Yohan staggered forward, passing the charred hyenas.
Eventually, he came across fallen knights lying motionless, their eyes still open. These were the comrades who had accompanied him on this mission but had been struck down by the hyenas.
“…….”
Yohan’s gaze, as he looked at the fallen knights, grew cold. His fists clenched tightly.
How many lives had been lost because of Cassis Lenokhonen, who couldn’t even distinguish between public and private matters?
All of them had families. All of them had promising futures.
He would not let this tragedy go unpunished.
Yohan collected the daggers used by the hyenas and descended the mountain path.
The fact that all of Cassis’s hyenas used the same daggers was now clear.
This would be the perfect evidence to bring down Cassis Lenokhonen.
***
As soon as Yohan returned to the village, he contacted the Count Ekarsi. He reported the occurrence of a demonic beasts outbreak and requested support.
Realizing that a demonic beast outbreak could devastate the region, Count Ekarsi quickly dispatched knights and soldiers. Once the reinforcements arrived, Yohan traveled to the Ekarsi estate to give a detailed report.
In the count’s office, Count Ekarsi asked gravely,
“How did it go?”
“It was undoubtedly a demonic beast outbreak.”
Yohan replied as he sat on the office sofa.
“And during the investigation, there was an ambush.” he added.
“An ambush? By whom?”
“Hyenas.”
“Hyenas, you say?”
Hyenas were infamous—mercenaries sworn to serve certain noble families and operate in the underworld.
“This is the evidence.”
Yohan said, placing one of the hyenas’ daggers on the table.
Count Ekarsi frowned as he examined the blade.
“This is…”
“With this, we can identify the mastermind.” Yohan said.
“I see. I will ensure a thorough investigation.”
The count accepted the dagger with a hardened expression and nodded firmly.
His investigation would greatly aid in bringing down Cassis Lenokhonen. After all, the Count Ekarsi was recognized by the imperial family and ruled over a vast estate.
“And the demonic beast outbreak?” the count asked, tension evident on his face. A outbreak could spell disaster for the entire territory.
“I’ve taken minimum countermeasures. Although the area is currently inaccessible due to the storm, the outbreak has subsided to some extent. With proper management, it should be fine.” Yohan assured him.
Hearing this, the count exhaled a deep sigh of relief.
“That’s good to hear. Given the proximity, it could have been disastrous. The Ekarsi estate owes much gratitude to Special-Class Mage Harsen.”
“It was merely my duty as a Special Class Mage of the Imperial Bureau.” Yohan replied courteously.
The count, now visibly at ease, picked up the dagger and said,
“You must be exhausted. Stay and rest until tomorrow before you depart. I will ensure Special Class Mage Harsen receives every comfort here at the Ekarsi estate.”
To the count, Yohan was nothing short of a savior, having singlehandedly prevented a catastrophic outbreak.
“Then I shall accept your hospitality. Thank you.” Yohan said with a polite nod.
The count smiled warmly and rang a bell. The butler entered the room promptly.
“Ensure Special-Class Mage Harsen is provided with every comfort.”
“Yes, My lord.” the butler replied with a bow.
The butler gestured for Yohan to follow, and after offering a brief farewell to the count, Yohan left the office.
“Phew.”
Leaving the count’s office, Yohan let out a quiet sigh. Fatigue weighed heavily on him, though it did not show on his face. Yet, the subtle heaviness in his steps revealed the toll of the battle he had endured.
“This way, please.” the butler said.
Guided to the bathhouse, Yohan was greeted with a steaming bathtub already filled with water, prepared by the servants.
Splash.
As he sank into the hot water, steam rose around him, and his eyes grew pensive.
“Cassis Lenokhonen, You won’t get away with this incident like last time.”
With the evidence linking this attack to the previous ambush, Cassis would have no room to escape. The end was near for the fool blinded by lust.
Even if Cassis managed to cut ties and escape unscathed, he would have to relinquish his position as heir to the Lenokhonen Grand duchy. All his authority would likely be stripped away.
A faint smile crept onto Yohan’s lips as he closed his eyes.
Soon, he would witness the inevitable downfall of Cassis Lenokhonen.
A man so foolish could only sink to the depths.
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